More severe weather has swept across parts of southern Europe over the last 4 days. France, Italy and Switzerland have all been badly affected. Floods and landslides have killed 9 people since Friday 14 November 2014.
The BBC reported earlier today that the region near to the Swiss / Italian border region has seen more rain in a few days than it would normally expect in a year.
Switzerland
Swiss authorities said two women, aged 34 and 38, had died when the mudslide hit the building in the village of Davesco-Soragno, near Lugano, Switzerland, on 16 November 2014.
Some of the heaviest rainfall was seen in parts of Ticino canton. Approx, where over 80 mm fell in 24 hours in Locarno between 15 and 16 November. Levels and flow of the Ticino river are dangerously high. This could spell further woes for parts of Italy since the Ticino is a tributary of the Po River, which is already seeing high levels.
Italy
In Italy, a 70-year old man and his 16-year-old granddaughter were killed when a mudslide engulfed their home in Cerro di Laveno in Italy on 16 November 2014
The Liguria region is, once again, one of the worst affected. Landslides have blocked roads and disrupted transport, while several rivers have burst their banks, inundating streets of the city of Genoa and nearby towns.
Elsewhere in Italy, levels of lakes Lugano and Maggiore are already dangerously high. Some lake-side villages have been cut off.
Emergency officials have warned of a “critical situation” in the North East, while damages have been estimated at more than €100 million.
Rainfall Levels during a 24 hour period, 15 to 16 November 2014
- 102.4 mm in Milan
- 159.4 mm in Genoa
France
Five people have died in three separate accidents after their cars were swept away by floodwaters between 14 and 15 November 2014 in the southern French region of Le Gard.
On Friday evening, a mother and her 2 young children were killed after their car was swept off a bridge by floods near the Cevennes Mountains. The father managed to escape from the vehicle.
A man was found dead in his car in Peyremale, Le Gard region, early on Saturday morning, downstream from the bridge he had been crossing, according to local authorities. Another man was swept away while he was driving his car on the mountainside, Friday night in Lozère
Orange flood warnings (2nd highest) had been issued for four neighbouring departments of the Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Alpes-Maritimes, but not for Le Gard.
More Heavy Rain Expected
The heavy rain is expected to continue across the region. Severe weather alerts have been issued for Luganese and Mendrisiotto in Switzerland, with between 70 mm and 100 mm of rain expected today. High levels flood and severe weather warnings remain in place across much of northern Italy.
Several yellow flood alerts (low-level) remain in place across parts of France.
Serbia and Croatia
The severe weather appears to be moving eastwards and heavy rain has now affected parts of Serbia and Croatia. According to WMO figures, in the last 24 hours, 104.1 mm of rain fell in Loznica, Serbia, and 60.4 mm in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
